By Susan Morse
Hampton Union, Friday, July 23, 2004
SEABROOK – Seabrook police have levied a felony charge of witness tampering against Raymond Fowler, 32, of Seabrook. Fowler was previously convicted in connection with the Pamela Smart murder case.
If convicted of the felony charge, it is more likely that Fowler will serve the remainder of his sentence on charges related to the Smart murder.
Fowler was 18 in 1990 when, according to court records, he waited in a car while his 15-year-old friend William Flynn shot Gregory Smart to death in the Derry condominium Smart shared with his wife, Pamela, a teacher at Winnacunnet High School.
Fowler, who had been out on parole for 14 months, has been in prison since mid-June awaiting a revocation of parole hearing on a misdemeanor charge out of Salisbury, Mass., of disturbing the peace. The hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, July 27, at noon at the parole board in Concord.
John Eckert, executive assistant to the state parole board, said he believed the new charge stems from Fowler’s disturbing the peace charge.
“He just attempted to speak to somebody involved in the Salisbury, Mass., affair,” said Eckert, “trying to convince them to drop allegations in Salisbury.
“The criminal arrest warrant for witness tampering is just an allegation. These are unproved allegations,” Eckert said.
Seabrook Officer David Buccheri issued the witness tampering charge July 2, according to Seabrook prosecutor Scott Mendes. Fowler has yet to be served with the warrant, said Mendes, who had no further information on the charge. Police Chief David Currier, the spokesman for his officers, could not be reached for comment.
Fowler faces serving eight more years in prison should the charges stand.
“One of the conditions of parole,” said Eckert, “is don’t get arrested.”